Friday, February 12, 2016

Court of Appeal Nullifies Impeachment of Governor Nyako

A Court of Appeal sitting in Yola, Adamawa State, on Thursday reversed
the impeachment of Murtala Nyako as governor of Adamawa State.

Nyako was removed on July 15, 2014, after 17 of 25 members of the
Adamawa State House of Assembly adopted a report of a panel set up to
investigate him for alleged corruption. The report found the governor
guilty of all the 16 allegations of gross misconduct.

But in its Thursday’s ruling, the Court of Appeal ruled that

the impeachment of Murtala Nyako as governor of Adamawa state in 2014 was not done in accordance with the provision of the law.

In the lead judgment read by Justice Tunde Ayotoye, all the judges
unanimously agreed that Nyako was not given fair hearing in the
impeachment proceedings.

The judges said that the governor’s right was violated and declared all the process that led to the impeachment null and void.

Unfortunately, the court could not reinstate him as Governor because his tenure had expired.

But the court ordered that Nyako be accorded all right of the office of
the governor of Adamawa State through the period of office, and be paid
all his entitlement as governor of the state while it lasted.

The Court condemned the “impunity and arrogance” of the Adamawa State House of Assembly.